Frequently asked questions
Fourteen questions we are asked often, with plain answers.
These are the questions that come into the office most often. If yours is not below, please write to us — we read every letter and reply within three working days.
The trustees' post-box, in which questions arrive each morning.
Who can apply for an almshouse?
Any person aged 60 or over with a connection to the former Oswestry Borough may apply. By “connection” we mean: a person who lives, or has lived, or has close family in, the area. The minimum age at appointment is 60; the average age at appointment in the past decade has been 74. We look for evidence of need, evidence of local connection, and evidence that the applicant will be at home in a small, quiet community.
Is there a waiting list?
There is a short waiting list; we appoint roughly two new residents a year. We do not number the list because the appointment panel considers fit and circumstance as well as date of application. We will write to you within ten working days of receiving an enquiry to let you know whether and when a panel might meet you.
How much does it cost to live in one of the almshouses?
There is a weekly maintenance allowance — payable by each resident on a sliding scale set out in the 1979 Scheme — which covers the running costs of the cottage. Where a resident cannot meet the full allowance, the trustees waive part or all of it. The exact figure is reviewed annually at the Lady Day trustees' meeting and is communicated privately to applicants.
Are the cottages furnished?
No — residents bring their own furniture. The cottages are decorated and cleaned before a new resident arrives, and the cooker, the washing machine, and the small back-boiler stove are all in working order. We supply curtains as a courtesy.
Can a resident have pets?
Yes. We have, at present, three cats, one elderly small dog, and a slightly suspicious budgerigar across the ten cottages. We ask only that pets be considered carefully — a resident's later years are not always the right time to take on a new animal — and that any garden-loving animal stays clear of Thomas's compost heap.
Is the charity religious?
Two of our trustees are clergy — Reverend Paul Trevor Darlington (our chair) and Reverend Harvey Gibbons — and our quarterly meetings are at St Oswald's Parish Church. The original endowments came from churchgoing benefactors. However, residents need not be churchgoers; we do not discriminate by faith, denomination, ethnicity, sexuality, or family circumstance.
Where does my donation go?
For every £100 donated in the year to 31 March 2025, the trustees allocated £62 to repairs (slate, lime mortar, oak), £18 to coal and heating, £10 to garden and befriending, £6 to office costs (postage, paper, web hosting), and £4 to the small welfare grants and the library. Trustees take no payments. We have no employees.
Can I leave a legacy to the trust in my will?
Yes. Legacies are an important part of the trust's income, and the present roof appeal would be very different without them. Please ask your solicitor to use our full registered name (Eure and Smale Charity) and our registered number (220042). For the wording of a residuary or pecuniary clause, our treasurer is happy to write to you privately at [email protected].
Can I visit the almshouses?
Yes — once a year at our Spring Open Doors event in late May, and at the open quarter-hour of each quarterly trustees' meeting at St Oswald's. We ask visitors to respect that the residents' homes are not visitor attractions; please look at the buildings from the courtyard, not through any window.
What is your area of benefit?
Our area of benefit is the former Oswestry Borough, which today sits within Shropshire Council's unitary authority. In practice the residents come from Oswestry, Trefonen, Treflach, Gobowen, Whittington, Hengoed, Weston Rhyn, and Llanymynech, with occasional appointments from further afield where there is a clear connection to the town.
Do you employ anybody?
No. We have no employees. The eight trustees serve without payment. The Charity Commission's public register confirms this in plain English.
How are your accounts audited?
Our annual accounts are independently examined each year by a Shropshire-qualified examiner and are filed on time with the Charity Commission. The full statutory accounts are on the public register for charity 220042; the trustees' annual report summary is available on our reports page.
How do I make a complaint?
Please write in the first instance to the Chair, Reverend Paul Trevor Darlington, at our Beatrice Street office. We will acknowledge your letter within five working days and reply in full within twenty. If you are not satisfied, you may complain to the Almshouse Association, or to the Charity Commission. Our full Complaints & Concerns Procedure is on the resources page.
Where is the trust's office?
The trustees' office is at The Almshouses, Beatrice Street, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 1QE. It is staffed by trustees in turn, on weekday mornings; please do not call without writing first. Email goes to [email protected].